Veteran Air Force and American Airlines pilot Robert Snow fears his heart problems will keep him grounded — ending a flying career that spans three decades.
The accomplished pilot suffered a cardiac arrest within minutes of landing a plane from Denver to Dallas in early April. Snow attributes his new pulmonary issues to a Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine his employer forced him to take to keep his job.
Snow reports that he was required to take the vaccine despite his having “natural immunity” from previously contracting the virus, which multiple studies show are superior to vaccines for protection against COVID.
As reported by The Epoch Times, Dr. Peter McCullough, a world-renowned cardiologist, told Newsmax that Snow’s case fits a “pattern.”
“There is no other explanation,” McCullough said about Snow’s case, noting that Snow has no history of heart disease.
McCullough added: “The MRI pattern is consistent. Indeed, it may have been vaccine-induced myocarditis with a late manifestation of cardiac death.”
In addition, McCullough told The Epoch Times that he received “several phone calls and communications from friends in the industry that do think that they might have had issues with a vaccine.”
Linking heart attacks to COVID vaccines has been reported by American Military News, General Aviation News, and International Business News.
Snow reports that many pilots are “afraid to raise the flag and say, ‘Hey, I think I might have an issue’ because they’re afraid they’ll either lose their medical certification to fly, which if we lose our medical, we can no longer operate.
“We can’t be a commercial pilot anymore. And in worst-case scenario, which is what right now probably what I’m experiencing, is you can’t fly at all. Period.”
Snow added a rebuke to airlines for the way airlines impose a vaccine mandate despite known safety concerns:
“I would just tell you that there are other pilots out there that have had concerns, not just pilots, also because it was an employee mandate. So we have flight attendants, we have mechanics, we have dispatchers, we have gate agents, you name it.
“Of course, for pilots, we consider that a safety-sensitive job so we’re a little bit more concerned from the standpoint of aviation safety; but yes, I have received calls from other pilots and other communications stating that they have concerns.”
Snow reports that he did not want to receive the vaccine, but as the sole financial provider for his family, he felt compelled to take the shot.
“I had serious questions as to the safety and the efficiency and the effectiveness of the vaccine. I’d already had COVID. I’d already tested positive for antibodies, and really didn’t see the rationale for it. But, the only solution that might have been available to me to not receive the vaccine was to request a religious or medical exemption. Neither of which did I really feel like I should request a Medical exemption.
“I didn’t have any reason to not to, scientifically speaking, not receive it, other than the fact that it was issued under an EUA and not fully tested. And as far as a religious exemption, I didn’t see any reason to request that because I don’t really have a religious belief that would prevent me from receiving this particular vaccination. So for moral and ethical reasons, absolutely. But that wasn’t considered a valid reason not to get the vaccine.”
Snow added: “Initially, my employer was not going to force the vaccine on its employees. They subsequently changed their mind on approximately October 1, in conjunction with the executive office here in the United States mandate on federal contractors.
“They decided that now that they would enforce the vaccine mandate on all employees of the airline. And in regard to that, we were told that if we did not receive the vaccination we would be terminated. There was no question as to the sincerity at that time of their statement.”
Airlines are considered government contractors and thus were directly affected by President Joe Biden’s September Executive Order requiring businesses with government contracts to impose vaccine mandates.
Casting a spotlight on high government level hypocrisy, last December The Epoch Times reported that the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) “was breaking its own rule that states pilots should not fly after having taken medications that have been approved for less than a year.”
Snow now must wear an automatic external defibrillator or “life vest” that monitors his heart function. The vest is cumbersome and at times a nuisance, but he considers himself very fortunate because he received immediate medical care, which is not the case for many others.
“The thing that concerns me, is [that] this happened in the right place at the right time. Because if it had happened … any other time where I was either alone or beyond reasonable response time for a medical response, I wouldn’t be here having this conversation.”
The Times reports that attorney John Pierce Law is suing 18 major airlines, including American Airlines. His suit focuses on the alleged unconstitutionality of the vaccine mandates imposed on airline employees.
This story originally appeared on Resist the Mainstream
